[inaudible conversations] good morning. The subcommittee on space will come to order. Without objection, the chairs authorized to declare a recess of the subcommittee at any time. Welcome to todays hearing, title an update on nasa exploration systems develop. I now recognize mist for an open statement. More and asia means expanding our reach as humans. It is a civilization and as country the arm opt our nation to explore space is a strategic imperative. The ability to carry out this critical strategic endeavor will rely on a few key capables. From the launch, the space launch system in order to push beyond low earth orbit we minimum fish developing the orion capsule in order to operate in deep space. And we must upgrade our ground infrastructure to support a rejuvenated and an expand exploration agenda. The nasa goal in the nasa transition authorizing argentina is to extend human presence through the solar system. The space launch system in orion are the strategic capabilities that will allow in enable humans and robots to accomplish this goal. Sls and orion will enable u. S. Astronauts to return to the moon for the First Time Since gene cernan left his daughters name in on the moon in 197 2. As Vice President pence said in his inaugural meeting of the reestablished National Space council, we will return american astronauts to the moon. Not only to leave hint fingerprints and flag but to Bua Foundation we need send americans to mar and yo. Sls and orion their tip of the spear that will lead that return. The commercial sector can contribute by supplying Necessary Services and providing augmenting capable but sls and orion are irreplaceable strategic assetes necessary for missions to the moon, mars and beyond. One of the first major laws that President Trump signed was the nasa transition authorization act of 2017. The bill, which originated with this committee, directed nasa to stay the course with sls and eye ripe and reaffirmed congressional and president ial direction for nasa to utilize a stepping stone approach to exploration, which allows for a return to the moon. I wholeheartedly support the administrations call to return to the moon. This committee has received testimony time and again that the moon is the appropriate next destination for our Space Program. Returning to the moon does not have to mean delaying a mission to mars. On the contrary, it is a logical step that enables exploration of the red planet and beyond. And while im excited by the promise of how strategic assets like sls and oo orion to return to the move. All three exploration system elements, sls, orion, and ground systems, have experienced delays and overruns. This year has certainly challenged the program. Last year, it was hit by a tornado. In august, texas and florida were hit by hurricanes. A couple of years ago the vertical Assembly Facility foundation was not reinforced, requiring a rebuild. This year complications with friction stir weld pins resulted in poor welds on the core stage, all of this add up. It appears that though the knew issues with tornadoes and hurricanes and welding will cost roughly a year of delay. Depending on whether the europeans deliver the Service Module on time for orion, the delay may be greater. Congress needs to understand where the program is today, what costs schedule and performance deliverables can the agency commit to . What is the plan Going Forward . How will nasa manage future issues to ensure longterm programs sustainability . We are not out of the wood yet on the program but we can see edge of the forrest. We bending metal, writing Software Code and integrating hardware. Given a program of this magnitude this is no small feat. Particularly given the challenges the Program Faces under the last administration. As a went back october 192017 the full duration with one of the flight engines. They shouldnt have undertaken the Development Program on this scale in the infrastructure this is also necessitated by the critical capabilities needed for the u. S. Leadership and deep Space Exploration. This is not the prime contractors are doing over 1,000 suppliers spread across every state in the Program Response to unpredictable appropriations and the office of Inspector General also identified concerns with the ability to meet the projected launching needs. In the april 2017 report the gao found that the activities making progress scheduled pressure is escalating the challenges and continue to cause delays. Gao characterizes the planned launch date as november, 2018. Part of what i have to get out of todays hearing is a better understanding of what that plan and a day of launch date as well as the opportunity to continue examining the issues. Congress should use for measuring progress as made by both the sos and the Orion Program and in establishing a production. And those sending humans to mars as directed in the 2017 nasa transition authorization act. In closing, mr. Chairman, you often heard me talk about growing up in the middle of the space x. With much of the Apollo Mission and how that inspired me along with a generation of kids to think about the sciences and beyond. What we are talking about in terms of the systems and the reestablishment of the leadership in the Space Program as we start to think about going back to the moon and going back into deep space. That does have the ability to inspire another generation of kids and reinvigorate our desire to explore the curiosity about the universe around us. One of those inspirational figures of the Nations Program is actually with us today. Playing on the shuttle and lived on the interNational Space station. We thank you for your service and appreciate you being a role model for millions of young people. I look forward to testimony and yield back. Thank you. I couldnt agree more. Now we recognize the chairman of the full committee, mr. Smith. Thank you mr. Chairman. I appreciate the comment commend the Ranking Members comments as well. Congress supported by systems programmer for years. Weve shown the support involved with the funding from one administration to the next. Recent hurricanes and tornadoes have slowed localized properties but many of the problems are selfinflicted. Its very disappointing to hear about the delays caused by poor execution when the u. S. Taxpayer has invested so much in these programs. For the last eight years, congress defended the space launch system and the vehicle from attempts at cancellation on the proposed budget cuts. The Exploration Systems Development now is nearly 4 billion a year. The Government Accountability office reported last spring the first launch likely will be delayed from late 2018 to 2019. Delays with the European Service model module also can push the same. It was to upgrade the platform and the inspector reported this week the development of exploration systems is one of the most significant challenges facing nasa and the highlight of the problems facing all components of the system and ground systems. If the delay is continuing costs rise and if the technical challenges arise, no one should assume the u. S. Taxpayers or the representatives will tolerate this from ever. The more setbacks that they face, the more support builds for other options. Nasa suffered for decades with Program Cancellations that have delayed the exploration goals. As the exploration systems progress from development to production operations and maintenance, the contractors must bring down the cost and guarantee the deadlines are met. Congress needs to have confidence in the Exploration Service contractors which i dont believe that we have now. That confidence is ebbing. If it is left much further, nasa and its contractors will have a hard time regaining their credibility. Thank you mr. Chairman. And i will go back. Now let me introduce the witnesses. The associate or a human exploration director at nasa. Thethey managed manage this base portfolio since 2011. They received a bachelors of science and engineering from Purdue University and masters of science and Mechanical Engineering from the university of toledo. The second witness today is doctor sandra magnus, the executive director of the American Institute of aeronautics and astronautics. In addition to her role, doctor magnus is a former nasa astronaut and prior to that work as a practicing engineer in the aerospace industry. She received a degree in physics as well as a masters degree in electrical engineering. She also earned a phd in engineering georgia tech and i now recognize mr. Courson mire e to present his testimony. We are living in an amazing time in human spaceflight. Crew members living onboard the interNational Space station forr more than 17 consecutive years. Its beyond the Current Space industries. Further use these new companies and researchers have never seen the benefits of space to the products and processes. The space station is becoming a place for business to expand, grow and gain competitive advantage over the company is not doing research in space theyve now accepted business operating in space will become normal and accepted. They are now adding a third. The agency is in the process of acquiring services and certifying systems to transport the crew. These companies are busy manufacturing and certifying the systems and the partners are helping to build a strong commercial space industry and allow us to focus our efforts on deep Space Exploration which brings us to the subject of todays hearing. Exploration systems development. The space launch system rocket, the overriding deep space capsule with the Service Module and ground system programs are undergoing manufacturing and certification in preparation for the first integrated flight. Just think about it. There is more human spaceflight hardware in production today than in any time in the United States since apollo. As a nation, we are Building ThreeDifferent Group equals, ryan thomas r. Winer and dragon. One for deep space and to the low earth orbit. Getting to this point was not easy and there are still challenges ahead. However, we need to pause and reflect on this amazing time. As we pursue human exploration further into the solar system, our expiration teams are building more than a rocket and spacecraft for a single flight. Rather, we are building a flexible, sustainable system that will be used for decades to come. With this approach, we can incrementally upgrade and enhance our exploration systems to accomplish a variety of missions, crude and im craving deep space. We are also building a system designed witdesigned with a andg techniques with a lower cost than previous designs. The work performed is an application to other programs in aerospace. For example, hundreds of requests for information have been transferred from oryan to the commercial spacecraft into development in low earth orbit. The work of the self reaction friction will have application beyond the sos. Wondering the exploration and the current flight article have all been built for a ryan. The launchpad is during completion and all engines and controllers are ready for flight. 17 parishes Development Tests arare completed for qualificati. Should tests are complete with four more open. The data from these tests are helping the commercial Group Partners with the tests also. The amount of work completed for the system is large and it is documented in my written testimony. Further, this Government Investment and sos and over im is benefiting all. We need to b be careful to not focus on a single launch date projection but rather, take time to examine the quality, quantity and future benefit of the work completed. This deep examination will reveal the value of the work completed from the nation. While the review shows the launch date of june 2020 is possible. Of the earlier launch date is reasonable and challenges the teams to stay focused on task without creating undue pressure. The earliest possible launch date the cost even with the june date remained in the 15 limit and slightly above the ground systems operations. Exploration Mission Number two is scheduled or not adversely impacted by the schedule and as discussed earlier the work complete shows outstanding progress. We welcome the questions and thank you for this opportunity to discuss the amazing work comp which by the men and women of nasa and the contractor partner teams. Thank you. I now recognize doctor magnus for five minutes for the testimony. Tram, Ranking Member and distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to address you today. The Development System off the base launch system and the crew vehicle or the major milestones for the Space Program and i would not understate their importance. However i would like to address the view related to the current state over the Spaceflight Program and come upon the direction. The idea of what is possible in space has been in transition over the last decade when talking with the public by using model to describe the ecosystem that is todays human Spaceflight Program and i prefer you to figure on the tv monitors anand have you imagined a bubble or a balloon that expanding service represents the expansion of human activities since the apollo era for the last 40 years, the surface of the bubble has expanded only to the low earth orbit and that initial phase and its remained there. Getting this period, the government was the driving force behind the expansion of the activities and this has led to the simulation o deterioration , technology and management operations in this environment. Now private industry has become interested in engaging more practically independently and as open space. For the foreseeable future expansion beyond the government driving the investment nasa and the government are no governmeno develop beyond. Its beyond these two questions, what are the technologies for knowledgtechnologies andknowledt the government wants to have available for broad dissemination to the industry 50 years from now and number two, what are they capable of using services that. The core concept by the questions is the fact that there is a need for the Government Investment in activity at the leadingedge exploration during leading edge of exploration during the initial phase and the fact that the industry will sooner or later reap the benefit of the investment to create and establish the capabilities and Business Centers in the development phase. I would comment we are not ready in the human spaceflight but you see that happening over the last decade and satellite industry. We are not ready for that phase and this is the dynamic that is unfolding. The model i discussed is a powerful one and it is placed strategically and it brings me to the important point and this is what we have heard many tim times. The purpose for the longterm is the nature that it takes time, to make advancements and establishes the Space Council provides an opportunity to create this approach. To be effective the resource has been to be allocated and this is something that is challenged in the past and continues today. When i joined the agency in 1996, nasa received approximately seven tenths of a penny from every tax dollar. Fundamentally they are constrained by limits to control the expense of the budget as well and for the civil workforce whether the science, skill sets in some cases the management across the agency to execute a longterm Strategic Program and constrained budget environment effectively and successfully nasa must be given the ability to make decisions and take actions in these areas. To the adequate resources and stability of those resources to developing space hardware is complex and challenging as you have heard today. A program with the multiyear budget can absorb more expensive engineering decisions coming to the result will be lower operational costs and has overall net savings for the life of the program. The current budgeting process and lack of the budgetary environment prohibits this kind of comprehensive approach to be used. The transition that is occurring in houston and engage with this has been the goal for decades and the expansion and economic development, the arrival of the first immigrants and settlers to the westward expansion across the continent he faced challenges, forged new paths and overcome obstacles. As we expand into space the next frontier, im confident we can tap into the same spirit and energy. Again, thank you for the opportunity to address this body and thank you for your continued support of the Nations Program i look forward to answering any questions that you may have. Thank you very much. I would now recognize and appreciate the witnesss testimony. The chair recognizes himself for questions. I was running late this morning and didnt have a chance to see you before the hearing started, great to have you here and we appreciate it. One of the primary purposes of the trans